


Lustrous Diamond Kaleidoscope

by orphan_account



Series: Lustrous Diamond Kaleidoscope [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Accidental Plot, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I promised... but im sorry, Insecurity, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Multiverse, Out of Body Experiences, Overcoming fears, POV Alternating, Platonic Relationships, a lot is going to happen, approximately sixteen yellow diamonds panicking about their feelings, i blame discord
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-11-04 14:04:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17899499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Things were going good for Yellow Diamond until an alternate universe version of herself crashed the party! Follow Yellow Diamond and Yellow Diamond on her adventures with Yellow Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Yellow Diamond, and of course; Yellow Diamond- and Steven (cameo appearance only)!It's time to save the world!





	1. Canary

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea I discussed with a friend of mine, stemming from the "Alternative Stevens fighting each other" scene- where alternative versions of gems can come in contact with them without a dimensional paradox breaking the world. 
> 
> Think, Spiderman into the Spiderverse, but with yellow diamonds!
> 
> Update 20/3/2019: this now has plot, which would be addressed after chapter 3.

"Oh Yellow, wait for me!"

The diamond sighed as she could hear heavy yet gentle footsteps pad across the shore, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. She was almost at the beach house where her ship was docked, inches away from freedom, but the gem behind her was far too docile to speed-run across the town. She turns around, disdain written all over her features, as the photocopy of herself catches a breath she does not need. Yellow Diamond really did not want to be here, and definitely did not enjoy the company of this... pretentious, tasteless, trashy little- "Seriously, we could've taken my ship." She waves with a hand, impractical finger-less gloves and all, cape flowing behind her in slow waves. The lurid outfit, clearly meant to mimic a style Yellow was far too familiar with, sparkles in the faint moonlight along with golden irises which held an unspoken accusation. While both were the same gem, essentially, Yellow couldn't trust this diamond who had unceremoniously fallen onto her after the hyperspace engine abruptly malfunctioned, sending them both flying out into the Earth's atmosphere. They were lucky to survive the fall, let alone summon a ship from three dimensions away. Her eyes lock with ones identical to them, before she rolls them with a huff. She can't sit here and fight with herself (word used extremely loosely. Whatever this doppelganger was, it clearly possessed no qualities of hers), no matter how much she would've liked to put the other in her place.

"It's just a couple few more meters to the north. It won't shatter you to take a few more steps." With that the diamond turns on her heel and keeps on walking, but upon realizing the other wasn't following she pauses."Do I NEED to drag you there-"

"We don't need to be in a rush, you know. For a version of myself you are quite brash."

"Me? Brash?" Yellow halfheartedly snorts at the idea, that her, the paragon of radiance and elegance was being called unbecoming of such qualities by none other than herself, glancing back at the other whose arms were crossed across her chest. "Just get moving." The unspoken sneer is evident through her features, and while the other diamond couldn't care less what the other thought, it had jabbed her pride. "Stars, you're whinier than Pink." Contrary to her own desires, the gem starts to trail behind Yellow, huffing in displeasure. She scowls at the dirt clinging to her heels and tails of her cape, as if the soft earth had personally offended her. "Disgusting." Her revolted grimace is almost comical, and when kicking at the earth only causes more to splatter onto her precious boots she begins to whine, causing the other diamond to press a hand to her temple in despair.

This was going to take forever.

 

* * *

 

Pearl's eyes darted from one diamond to the other, her hand instinctively flying up to cover her silent gasp. Before her stood two very upset diamonds, identical in every feature- sans the glares shot between them. Yellow - their Yellow, that she was sure of - gestures to the gems, then back to her... twin? Steven is awestruck, eyes darting from one diamond to the other, before he breathes out a small, stunned "wow". Instinctively Garnet has a hand on his shoulder, gauntlet on one hand, her own expression hidden behind her star-shaped visor, but her slightly agape mouth conveyed her surprise quite well. Before she can say anything though, a shadow overcomes the small beach house, and a blue hand ship docks near the torn remains of Yellow's own ship, a familiar figure emerging. "Just what is going on in here!?" the exclamation is heard before she can utter it herself, an equally surprised Blue Diamond blinking at the sight before her. She had been already on her way when they'd contacted her, having lost contact with her fellow matriarch. "Who is this?" She demands, pointing to the robed Yellow who eyes her critically.

"This," the Yellow she was familiar with for millennium interjects, "is me. Apparently." She sounds almost dismayed to say it, the displeasure lingering behind her words. "Or at least, is supposed to be."

"Who are you, stranger? And be honest." Blue's tone is sharper than a two-sided blade, but the doppelganger refutes it with a biting remark of her own. "I am the luminous, one and  _only,_ Yellow Diamond- the question here is who are _you_?" She points a finger of her own at Blue. Previously quiet, her new-found anger is puzzling. The Crystal Gems, still on the shore, take a few steps back to clear themselves from the impact zone.

Blue rolls her eyes in response. "I'm Blue Diamond, obviously." But the other Yellow isn't satisfied by this answer. She lets out an indignant huff, before she angrily growls at the azure gem. "Nonsense! Blue's been shattered for six thousand years!"

Yellow, the level-headed armored gem stepped between them to defuse the argument. "Alright you two, calm down-"

"Easy for you to say! You haven't spent years in mourning for some gem to come and... and have the audacity to make such a claim! You're nothing like her!" her voice rises to a crescendo, an aura beginning to surround her form. Immediately bracing for impact, the two diamonds prepare their own auras in preparation for an attack, but are taken aback by a sudden wave of unbearable emotion overcoming them. Yellow sputters as she is frozen in place, defensive stance broken midway as she cries back. "Blue... this- this isn't the time...-"

But Blue is holding back tears that aren't her own as a canary-yellow hue washes over her, her own form riddled with thousands of vine-like destabilization lines. Both of their heads turn to look over to the caped diamond, head in her hands, hot tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Her shoulders shake with every sob, and it's clear something about the entire transaction has affected her deeply. Her knees collide with the beach, causing sand to ripple as they buckle beneath her grief. "You..." her voice trails off as she glares at Blue from between her fingers. 

Almost instantaneously, she lurches forth with a fist, a staggering blow directed at the other diamond who shrinks back from the impact. It never hits though, Yellow had intervened before it came in contact with its target- the brief moment of anger had shaken the relentless wave, creating a moment of weakness where the other Yellow could break free. "C-constrain... yourself..." the guttural growl tears its way out of her as she wrenches the other diamond's arm down with great difficulty. However, it works, and she withdraws her aura from the scene. Yellow exhales a breath she does not need as she looks over the weeping, broken diamond at her knees. "Calm down."

"I'm calm." The quiver in her voice does well to contradict that statement, and Yellow sighs again.

"You clearly aren't."

"I'M-" Her fingers dig into the cape around her shoulders in a brief wave of anger before she collects herself. "I'm calm, I swear. I'm..." Her gaze drops to the ground, a hand trying to hold back the tears already pouring down her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

Had it been another gem, Yellow would've shattered her on the spot, decimated her into fine sand right there and then. But, it wasn't any gem. She places a hand upon the other's shoulder, a small reassurance. "Just... don't do it again." There's a promise between those words, an agreement waiting for the other to partake in it. Blue, who was about to protest, steps in next to her fellow diamond upon hearing the apology. She feels something familiar in the sight of the yellow gem collapsed upon the ground, and offers her own condolences.

To the side stand the Crystal Gems's idle gemstones like a discarded packet of chips, a confused Steven holding up his shield.

 

* * *

 

 

"You're a real piece of work, Canary."

Amethyst is digging ravenously into a cup of instant noodles, already biting two of the plastic fork's teeth off in her haste to get her meal ready. It's a surprise she's managed to say a coherent sentence with all the food in her mouth, but Amethyst has always been a miracle-working quartz. She's lounging on one of the chairs on the beach house, as the diamond she addressed looks over to her in confusion. "Pardon?"

Amethyst gulps down the rest of the noodles, along with their soup, before downing the cup itself along with them as well. "I mean, jumping not one but TWO diamonds, just like that? You really are D's kin." The aforementioned diamonds are on the beach, salvaging the already busted pieces of Yellow's already destroyed ship. Blue holds an index finger over her head, wavering under its weight as Yellow sprints over to help her before they both collapse into a pile of circuits and iron. Canary grimaces at the scene, absolutely appalled by the idea of doing manual labor. "You could help em out y'know-"

"No, thank you." She dismisses the proposal by a wave of her gloved hand. "I will not put myself to such humiliating duties."

"Suit yo'self." Amethyst gets up in search of Steven's leftover fries from last night, homed in on her target. Canary is silent, still watching as Blue and Yellow are trying to prop up the half-destroyed palm of the ship onto a rock. Quietly she stands up, walking towards them while gingerly stepping over the debris lining up the shore. Yellow sees her sit down on an area of the sand where the sharp metal isn't present, watching them intently. There's an uncertainty in her demeanor, a nervousness only likely due to shame of her previous actions. The two diamonds share a look between them, Yellow checking if Blue is OK with the other approaching, before a nod is offered to her in reply. With Blue's approval, Yellow walks over to the brooding Canary with a steady pace, crushing several metal plates under her boot. "Hey, mind lending a hand? I could use an extra destabilizer."

"I'm not good with wielding."

"Lifting?"

Canary shakes her head, dismayed. However, Yellow is hard-headed- Bless her foolish heart. "There's definitely a way you can help, what did you manage back on your Homeworld?" She waits as the other gem puts an index finger to her chin, thinking. After a few seconds of pondering, her posture deflates in embarrassment as Yellow's eyebrows rise with a surprised "oh". "That's OK!" She quickly salvages the situation. "Come on, you can help Blue look for the missing circuit boards." She reaches with a hand, helping herself (it was still weird to think about, that they were the same gem) make her way across the iron-riddled sand to where the ship stood. Blue smiles at them both, more than pleased to see that the caped diamond is no longer a ball of flaring emotions. In her hands is a damaged circuit board, and she goes over it with a critical eye. "Yellow, we're going to need to solder these back into shape, or I doubt we can fix your ship well enough to leave orbit."

"Ah, oh. I..." She trails off, looking over the board with a slight hesitation as she tries to find the correct words. "I don't have the schematics memorized, these were kept in the memory banks. Did we salvage any of these-" 

"I know the schematics!" Canary is enthusiastic, a sudden happy cry that caused both diamonds to jump. Blue glances over to Yellow, then her duplicate, then back to the original, surprised. "You do? She does?"

The other lets out an affirmative hum. "I had to oversee Peridots far too many times for my liking, and they just kinda... stuck. Here," She points to a rather scorched piece of the board. "This is meant to go over there, down at the fuse connector." There's a little sparkle in her eyes, a cheer in her voice, a determination clearly reminiscent of her other version. As they continue fixing the ship, slowly but steadily, the diamonds settle into their own roles. Blue is combing the beach for missing materials, Yellow is soldering the panels together, and Canary is making sure they aren't rerouting fourteen energy cells to the wrong capacitor. It's a quite domesticated look for her, Yellow notes as she looks over the other gem, almost reminding her of...

Realization flashed across her eyes briefly, before she quickly hid it by pretending to be busy with the hull's dimensions. "So... how'd a wondrous diamond like yourself get peridot duty?" Her tone is nonchalant, but Yellow has to focus intently on the hull to steel herself.

"Ah... White said I wasn't cut for it anymore."

"Anymore?" There was an unintentional razor in that question, and it cut up her tongue. She can see the other's shadow stiffen briefly, before she forces herself to relax. "You've seen it Yellow. Playing dumb doesn't suit you."

A wry chuckle. "Now now, we agreed to put that behind us, didn't we?" When Canary doesn't respond, she allows her shoulders to slump. She's tired, the roughly twenty hours of non-stop work have taken quite a toll on her. Her efforts are concentrated on repairing the casing of the command center when she can see the caped diamond clutching a panel belonging to the cultural database, emblazoned with the authority symbol of Era 2, rooted to the spot. Their eyes meet for a second before Yellow turns away, masking her own discomfort with exhaustion.

"You miss her." Yellow'd lie if she didn't say she had begged for the stars that Canary wouldn't expose her so balantly, but this was herself she talking about. Of course, of _course._ "You miss yours too." It was only petty to go for where it'd hurt the most, except the other diamond had notes of melodic mirth ringing in the air. There are the faintest hints of tears in the corners of her eyes, but she doesn't let her aura spread. "Every moment of my existence- it's almost shameful." She wipes her eyes with the arm of her velvet gloves, shaking her head. "Blue would've scolded me for eons had she seen the state I'm in."

"Would she now? You should see my Blue, you're better off being her doppelganger."

"I already suffer being Yellow, now you want me to be Blue? Give me a break!"

"What about Blue?" The two diamonds hide their smirks when Blue Diamond comes back, iron plates in hand. They share a look, causing the azure diamond to sigh. "I swear, you two are like amethysts. Yellow, stop playing with yourself and get to work." The golden diamond sputters, taken aback by the seemingly perfect wording as Canary fixes her with a puzzled look.

Blue simply laughs at the sight of Yellow's humiliation, enjoying her comeback as she leaves the two to continue their tasks. She'd have to tell White about this.


	2. Marigold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alien abduction.

"All you had to do was listen!"

Her boots tore a path through the abused grass, the sting of exhaustion spreading through her chest, nostrils flaring and breathing shallow as she ran, aimlessly. A canopy of branches hung overhead, doing little to protect the blonde from an unforgiving downpour. Over her shoulder was a bag, rugged and beaten by time, its minimal weight almost an unbearable burden upon her. Slowly, her pace began dropping into a less wrathful jog, before her legs gave out and the lights of her home faded into the murky fog. Every breath felt like acid, staining her chin, pouring onto the earth. Her mother had been difficult, again, as were her habit, and as the blonde slumped against the thick trunk of a tree, she cradled her bag and cursed her luck. "Old hag," she muttered as thunder could be heard cackling overhead.

Marigold Diamond had given up. It was inevitable, her mother had been anything but compassionate, and the stress had taken its toll on her. Her closest friend, Belle, had already told her that all these years of a nose to the grindstone and a mind wracked with guilt were bound to explode, yet she had shrugged it off. She had no time to be worrying about such trivial matters, she had a standard to uphold and collage work that needed to be done, and if she was ever going to kick the bucket, it would be at the doorway of a lecture hall. But she had given up, prematurely, pathetically, and completely.

And she was drenched, that was for sure. An annoyed mumble could be heard as Mari glared at the tree, as if it had been whispering about her, before she tries - and fails - to gauge just how much distance has she crossed so far. The fog curls around the trees like ghastly vines, greatly obstructing the rest of the world from view. She sighs as raindrops keep splattering onto her weary shoulders, and her eyes, golden like the flashes of lightening that break through the tranquil silence of the heavens, keep drifting shut every now and then. The run had drained her strength, and the soft hypnotic pitpatter of the rain was about to lull her to a dream-like state before she caught herself nodding off. She can't possibly fall asleep in the middle of the woods! It was nonsensical, dangerous, and very, very tempting. I'll just rest for a few minutes, Mari convinced herself, it'll only be a while, no more and no less.

It's only after three hours does she wake up, and it's to a flash of lightening. She blinks in confusion, taken aback, before she remembers where she is and why she is here. A sigh escapes her as she checks her watch, tucking back a strand of wet hair behind her ear. 3:19 AM. Marigold blinks away the drowsiness in her eyes, picking up her bag to get going, before a detail catches her eye. While it was still raining, her clothes were completely dry- and so was the bag. She can see a jagged outline where the rainfall had been seemingly cut off, and as she looks up to see just what has blocked away the rain, falsely believing it to be a fallen tree, her eyes are met by a pair larger yet identical to them, fiery gaze and all. The behemoth has one hand on the thicket of branches that formed the treeline, and another on the trunk of the tree where she had fallen asleep. In an instant, they're frozen in uncanny postures of shock and one-sided fear, before the behemoth starts to move. Instantly, her fight or flight responses kick in, but she's too tired to sprint out of the forest and ends up stumbling over an unseen rock. Scrambling for footing she rolls onto her back to face the gigantic creature that loomed over her, fists up in a feeble attempt to ward it off.

But then it introduced itself- herself, a creature as worried as she were reached out to help with a hand that was as large as her entire form, and her adrenaline high had long faded, leaving her no room to object.

Her name was Yellow, and she was here on business.

Now after the rainstorm had ceased and the light of dawn swept over the city, Marigold could see more of her "horrifying" companion, and it was not helping her relax at all. Bright yellow hair swept up in a style far too similar to hers, hardened eyes that have seen more than they'd have liked to, the mannerisms she was far too familiar with and the same nervous ticks she caught herself in. There was an unfamiliar familiarity lingering just under the surface, waiting to be addressed. The elephant in the room sat next to her, awkwardly toying with the branch of a tree, before she addressed the tiny (by comparison) human. "I thought you'd be... bigger." It comes across as apologetic, almost let down, and an indignant protest is about to form in Mari's throat before she reminds herself that well, while she still didn't know just what species her... "friend" was, being hostile was not the correct approach.

"I thought you'd be green."

The large alien snorts, her booming voice blasting through the silence as if fired from the barrel of a shotgun. "What could possibly invoke such a ridiculous idea?"

Mari opened her mouth to say something about martians and the like, but decided against it. Who knows what Yellow's reaction to that may be? Also, if a giant yellow woman wasn't the sharpest contrast to little green men, she didn't know what was. However, the questioning gaze was still fixed onto her, and Mari gave a sigh of defeat as she shrugged. "It's just... aliens and... oh, nevermind."

""Aliens"? Very funny." The way she spoke implied Yellow did not see the faintest silver of comedy in it. "Seriously, I've been scouring continents for you Yellow, you could've landed your ship in a clearer spot."

"What do you mean?" A simple, non-aggressive question, despite the fact she was upset the alien refused to use her name. Yellow looks slightly puzzled, as if the human should be aware of what she meant by now, and she gestures to the gemstone embedded in her chest -god that thing is huge- as she says, "Well, aren't you a Diamond?"

"... Diamond?"

Was she referring to Mari's surname?

"Come on, don't play me as a fool." Yellow waves her hand, and it drives a few birds to fly away with chirps of fear before she catches the look of utter confusion she got as a reply, and confusion settles in. Brows are furrowed as the diamond thinks about something, before revelation dawns onto her. "Oh stars." There's an uncertainty in her eyes as she looks over the smaller one once more, before she stands up and accidentally uproots one of the trees.

"What?"

"This is the wrong universe, isn't it? Blast it, I shouldn't have left Canary behind." Yellow has a hand on her forehead, a tired sigh escaping her. "We're going to need to study this further."

"We?"

Raising a palm in response, Yellow summoned a magnificent, metallic arm, one that hovered far over the surface of the planet seemingly by mere magic. The arm glides across the sky, skimming the treetops, and settles above them. The giant is unwavered by the occurrences, despite the arm being almost three times her size, but the shadow cast by it completely blocks out the moon's rays. Marigold can barely find her words, shocked into silence once more. If this was a dream, she'd sure be pretty angry when she wakes up. Yellow turns on her heel, taking long strides towards the ship, when Mari snaps out of her trance. She would be dammed if she let that giant alien woman who really resembles her for some reason leave without some questions answered. "Hey, wait up!" Breaking into a sprint, she tries to catch up- but quickly falls behind due to the other's size. While Yellow walks kilometers per singular step, Mari can only run as humanly possible. "I said WAIT UP!" Hearing the cries, Yellow pauses mid-step, glancing behind her to acknowledge the small human staggering into a stop, panting from exhaustion. Her breath comes in short gasps as she tries to speak, worn out completely from trying to keep up. "The... least-" her own loud cough interrupts her there, her lungs feeling as if they were on fire. "The least you can do... is explain yourself."

"Oh, I need not explain." Yellow's patient smile was unnerving as she slowly reached out with a hand, before snatching the poor girl up with one quick swipe. Freezing up, Mari is unable to struggle as she's trapped inside of the giant's closed fist, feeling a pit in her stomach as she was lifted high into the air. This was it, this was how Marigold Diamond was going to bite the dust. Kidnapped by aliens, argued with her mother, possibly with a cold. Her body feels light as beeps ring and buttons are pressed, and she presses her hands onto the gloved palm below her. "Hey! HEY! LET ME OUT!"

"But you wanted an explanation, yes?" She can hear the sly grin decorating Yellow's face, and it infuriated her. "EVER HEARD OF USING WORDS?!" Her feral yelling receives no reply as the atmosphere around them changes, and the blonde can hear a commotion outside of the hand she was trapped in. Machinery runs in a steady flow, and voices, much like her own, are uttering questions she wasn't sure she understood. "Words just won't do..." As she is released, she can see Yellow's calm, amused smile and immediately takes to her feet to lunge at it, but stops short upon seeing the the other giant, almost identical to the first, observing her with child-like curiosity.

"You see, The situation is pretty... self-explanatory once you look at it from a different perspective."

"H-huh?"

"You're a Diamond, Yellow."

And Marigold can't even muster the courage to correct her as she falls flat onto the giant palm, very much unconscious.


	3. Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For a Diamond, she was far too brittle.

Sharpening her sword on an array of statues deep within the bowels of Homeworld, the gem moved in calculated, memorized steps, slicing through the dull rock with flawless accuracy. The tinny whine of her blade against the stone echoed off the cliff faces surrounding her, filled to the brim with exit holes. She aimed for the faceted stones, battling an invisible army of faceless soldiers. She closed her eyes, hearing nothing but her blade, now cackling with electricity, drawing crystalline paths through the stone. The faceless soldiers grew features, ones cold and unforgiving, that whispered cruel nothings into her ears.

_Ah, you're done for!_

_There's no way you can win on your own, Yellow!_

_You're totally useless in battle!_

_You're just a weak, off-color runt who can't do anything on your own!_

Her blade clinked against the metal bracing of a nearby injector mid-swing, throwing her off balance. Brushing her wild, spiky hair out of her eyes, Yellow shook her head to collect her thoughts, absentmindedly in response to the voices in her head. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it. Wrapping both her palms around the hilt, she prepared to pounce upon a particularly large statue when suddenly, its nameless features warped into something... far too familiar for comfort.

_All you ever do is fall apart!_

_There's not a single good thing about you!_

_And now you're on your own!_

Yellow closed her eyes again, trying to remember her next move versus the invading forces - both inside and out. Her nostrils flared as she stood over the debris, the clearing now too crowded, the air thick with the scent of molten rock. The dirt lined her armor, shoulder guards adorned with scratches, authority symbol almost fading off. "I can do it." The empty reassurance reverberated through the empty space, but the hostile voices took it in laughs. "I can beat her."

_Pathetic, you? A poor excuse of a diamond who's never experienced victory even once?_

_In a one-on-one fight with the luminous, radiant, glorious White Diamond!?_

_It's over!_

_You lost!_

Losing her composure, Yellow lunged at the nearest statue, a battle cry escaping her as she rendered it but a pile of rubble. She swiped at their faces with a feral attitude stigmatizing her movements, her boots crushing innocent stone beneath them. She let out an unneeded breath as she could feel another gem's presence intrude, knowing exactly who it was. Without turning around she banishes her blade, brushing dirt off her gauntlets. "To what do I own the honor?" Standing at the rubble lining the gateway was Pink, in all her glory. The gem towered over her, a mocking, domineering display evident in her jolly features that always seemed to taunt Yellow into smacking them right off. She had no right to be taking her role as a Diamond so nonchalantly. However, today an uncharacteristic frown laid upon said features. "Have your wits been knocked out of you?"

"Pretty sure they weren't, but do check for any. I'd hate to taint White's pretty marble floors." Yellow's boots clunked dully against the stone as she turned around to face her "superior", word used extremely loosely here. The stern expression is quite uncanny on Pink's face, Yellow's too used to her dismissive waves and snarky grins. An infuriated exhale followed as Pink pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yellow, for stars sake." Pink elegantly makes way through the mess, a small noticeable pep in her step as always. It seems that even though she had come to scold Yellow, she still found a little glee in the idea of being able to leave her tasks for a while. She comes to a pause, studying the armored, smaller gem's face. "You're lucky White didn't shatter you on the spot, and you already asked for another go?"

"She barely landed two hits on me, I can get her next time-"

"If this goes on any longer, there won't be a 'next time'! For once, think about what you're doing, reconsider." The desperation in Pink's voice was tearful, pleading, yet Yellow refused to listen. What did Pink know anyway? She had emerged with a colony at her fingertips. Pampered, spoiled, corrupted.

The sharp clinks of the sword against rock recommenced, and Pink sighed. "You're so hardheaded."

 

* * *

 

Yellow didn't need to breathe. Gems, naturally, possessed no need for oxygen in their systems. Yet as she lay inside a crater on an unfamiliar ground, she gasped for breath.

White had been... exceptionally violent, during their latest battle. She had listened to the other gem's wishes, and she did not go easy on Yellow as she directed the very essence of her radiance at the other's blade. The explosion had been blinding, and as the bright twinkles still adorned the corners of her vision, the off-color diamond concentrated her energy on disposing of the breastplate crushing her chest. Her armor slowly dissipates, leaving her defenseless but less weary. The battle briefly flashes before her eyes, White's amused laughter, Pink's horrified face, Blue's tearful eyes...

The sky above her twinkles with stars she does not recognize. In the distance, voices can be heard, calling, yelling, and pleading. Stars, Pink had warned her about this, back when she was but a newly emerged gem, quivering in the naked air, stumbling over her own feet. For a diamond of her status, she was meant to be strong, resilient, unwavering- but Yellow was none of these things. She barely could pull herself into the bubble chamber and sit on a throne far too large to belong to her, just so she can sit and stare at dormant gems all day. Years and years of being kept into an airlock of her elders' creation, out of fear- shame? Possibly. 

For a Diamond, she was far too brittle.

The world around her sinks into darkness, the stars losing their shine, creatures blending into some sort of murkiness she was unfamiliar with. Yellow's body heaves itself forward, collapsing into a puff of smoke.

When she regains her form, its to an unfamiliar ceiling and a cold table beneath her heavy, pained form. Electric currents whiz along circuit lines drawn into the metal, creating a hypnotic vision. It's almost painful to stare up at all of this information, her groggy mind unable to keep up with the events. There are sentences transpiring somewhere, outside her field of vision. A cacophony of noise. Suddenly, a form enters her vision. Small, lanky, circles upon circles arranged together with a shocking lack of precision. Organic life. She had heard Pink go on about them before, the tiny, feeble creatures living short insignificant lives and thinking these brief moments amount to something in the grand scheme of things when they are but a tiny flake of dust in the face of the supernova that is the universe. The voices come closer, and she's able to register a few as the gears of her mind begin to click together. 

"-ooks fine to me." A clumsy finger pokes her in the side, sending waves of dull pain through her spine- yet she cannot object. It's a welcome reprieve from the numbness. Another figure enters her vision, one large, dominant, a force to not be trifled with. It carried itself with the air of a gem who knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. "You never know, now back off Mari." A hand about the size of her torso comes in to wave the minuscule human - Mari, it was - away, making her whine. "You're no fun." Her world is yellow, yellow like the light pouring in from somewhere nearby, gracing the two's features. The color floods her vision, overloading her weary nerves, and she closes her eyes.

She's too tired to even think as glowing panels begin to surround her, their soft hazy glow trying to break into her mind. Clearly she was in some sort of hallucinatory state, knocked unconscious by the blast. White is probably holding her gem right now, pondering the idea of shattering her and starting over as Blue and Pink plead hopelessly for her life. How pointless.

What use does an empire like Homeworld have for a diamond who can only take two steps before falling apart?

She is lead out of the ship after a few tests, the large gem, a bettered copy of her, letting the smaller one roam along the shore. "Hey Marigold, keep an eye on sparky here, make sure she doesn't get into trouble."

Now that she thinks of it, the liquid surrounding them is a highly specific shade of blue- the same as the pigment adorning one of the docked ships, resting comfortably on the soft earth. Blue is there too- but she is not Blue, nor is she there. She's far too busy talking to two gems - one similar to her with a cape and a flowing coat, and the patched, _correct_ version of Yellow who gestured about as she explained something. There's an unpleasant taste in the off-color's mouth as she watches them talk like old friends. Blue, her Blue, now with some gem who just held the honors of being born into a better form, one that could store energy. There's a pleasant laugh twinkling in the air, supple notes of her voice decorating the air as she conversed with the two gems. They didn't deserve it, they never deserved it. Everyone around her was so damn perfect.

"Oi Sparky! Quit brooding and come here for a sec!"

Mari, the human, calls her over. The name is strange, and there is a satisfaction in finding its meaning. The human version of her, albeit a bit quirky, was quite pleasant to be around. They share some similarities, one being their size- despite the fact she towers over the organic by quite a few feet. There are a few kicked up clouds of sand as she walks towards the human, who's knelt down by a pile of tools, the bright, bright yellow of her clothes a sharp contrast to the smattering of blue sky behind her, visible through the arm ships. It’s almost blinding. So long trapped in the darkness of the bubble room and now this, this. There’s a vague stirring within her, a feeling she can’t recognize. The sky is beautiful.

Spark only grumbles something as she walks towards the human, whose gloves are stained with grime. There's a greeting shared between them, oddly tame. Domesticity suits her. "Mind lending me a hand? I need to bring these back to the ship."

Had she ever noticed those slight, subtle flakes of azure in the organic's eyes before? They're strangely reminiscent of a star-map she had studied back in the day, with Blue's careful hand on her shoulder and the pooling curls of fabric in her lap. The memory is strung along a thread of many others, a symphony of a millennia. The record spins on and on, events repeating themselves like a pendulum. It's rather upsetting to think about, the idea causing a pang of gloom to strike her chest. This universe knows nothing of her, and she knows nothing of it.  

When she doesn't respond, the human looks nervous. The slight drop of her shoulders is noticeable, her breathing is faltering- deviating from the usual rhythm for just a second. The silence is ear-splitting. "Sure, Mari." She had already told Spark 32 times that her name is Marigold, in between passing remarks and corrections. Absolutely bizarre how such a small detail could bring back a grin to the other's features so easily, she hadn't even bothered to push her physical limits nor demand a more troubling task. The door to the ship is closed, but Mari is quick to interject, prodding the hologram panel with what seemed to be a misshapen finger-like stylus. Wheezing, the door slides open momentarily, only to start closing again before it completely opens. The tools are light, a thin weight in her palms as they pick up a rather casual pace, heading into the arm ship.

"Hey," The human says, as they venture further into the halls, vine-like webs of clear energy tubes spanning across the hull. "Don't worry, you'll get used it to here." 


	4. Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A setback causes conflict to erupt between two of the diamonds.

"Watch out, this thing is heavy."

Yellow and Canary took small, heavy steps along the shore, a large arch held between them. The two gems were just finishing the construction of the inter-dimensional gateway, which would enable them to travel much more easily through the many universes without the risks entailed by normal ship travel, mainly being stranded. However, with them being the only gems with the size and capability of carrying such a heavy object, the other two were left at the controls right under their feet to set up the electronic bonds when needed. Mari simply watched the two as she absently dragged a finger along the glowing surface of the panel, eyes half-lidded, and a hand supporting her chin. To her side stood the brave warrior, looking as ready for battle as ever. She had her blade at the ready, practicing her swing.

"Take it easy sparky, nothing’s coming out of that hole."

"Says you. That laziness will be the death of you someday." Spark raises her sword pointedly at the human who groans loudly for the other gems to hear. "How longer are we gonna stay here? My arm got numb."

"As soon as we install this arch, you can bring the control rod stabilizer to twenty percent and hold it there, until the connection is made." Saying this, Yellow rambled on about the calibration process, more and more scientific jargon being mixed in with her speech. "We need it to stay idle while it auto-calibrates to the needed values, so hold the anti-mass spectrometer to five, no- seven calibration rods. Do we need it at two, o' five percent? I mean, as long as the organic isn't in direct contact…"

Mari blanked, trying to process. "Anti-mass... what?"

"Don't worry your little brain about it." Canary rolled her eyes, the most subtle of snickers lacing her tone. "Just let Yellow do her thing and back off when she says so." They took slow, careful steps, placing the arch right above its control rods. When Yellow was satisfied with the positioning, and once she was sure the other gem could handle the weight, she put down one of her hands for one of the smaller ones to climb on. Leaving her post at the control panel, Mari took a few determined steps towards the outstretched palm before it shifted away from her. "Not you." Yellow didn't even need to look at her to know that she was approaching. "Spark, get over here."

"Wait a minute; I thought I was responsible for this!" The little human held up the blaster she was provided with as proof, an indignant frown on her usually bored features. Yellow looked down, but instead of a huff of annoyance or displeasure the smaller one was met with a softened look of concern. "Marigold, please. You're small and vulnerable and you don't regenerate."

"But-"

"No buts! Canary, move quickly!" The large gem’s militaristic attitude soon returned, as she clutched at the arch once more, Spark taking a strategic point on her shoulder. Canary merely muttered under her breath, slightly offended. "Don't boss me around..."

"Alright. You should be clear of danger down there. If you'd be as kind as to start the engines so Spark can maintain their temperature at a comfortable range, we’d be able to begin calibrating. Oh, do enable triple core acceleration; we need to get this done with fast." Yellow checked her handiwork, before adjusting her posture with a hum. As the engines started to boot, their loud rumble masked the disgruntled groan from Mari who slumped against the panel, palming the thing like a bored kitten. As the engines started to stabilize, the smallest gem of the three slid from her perch on Yellow’s shoulder and down her arm, directing some energy beams towards a few rods that had been vibrating gently due to a clear lack of power.

“Stage two emitters, activate… Now.”  
  
A bright web of circuitry encased the metal, causing the entire arc to light up with an eerie glow. Slowly, a humming began to sound from the engine compartment, where beams were beginning to climb up the well-powered control rods. Yellow smiled proudly as her machine worked just as intended, finally able to let go of the arch as it began hovering in place. Gradually, a tinny light began to form in the center of the arch, soon spreading into a thin luminosity, shining across the entirety of the machine’s extent. Inside, a strange lack of light was visible, much to the confusion of the gems. Yellow was quite noticeably unsettled by the emptiness, and raised a hand to the human at the controls. “A-alright, that should do it. Mari, drop em.” As the off-color backed off to return to a more suitable distance, climbing up the hull to leap onto Yellow's shoulder pad, a few drops of strange, dark liquid slipped from between the metallic plates. Had Spark noticed, she would've immediately said something and alerted Yellow, perhaps even attempted to fight it herself, whatever it is. 

But, Spark hadn't noticed. 

“Sure thing.” Mari fidgeted with the controls a little, attempting to downgrade the emitters to stage one, before her relaxed demeanor dropped flat and shattered upon the sand like a wineglass . She blinked, before inching closer to the screen and furiously typing with both her palms.

Standing near the gateway, the larger gems started to grow uneasy. “Mari?”

“Yeah, yeah. I'm doing it, give me a break.”

“Is something wrong?” Canary inched closer to the pad, before Mari threw her entire body onto the panel, trying to hide it from view. She inhaled through her teeth, a fixed faux smile on her face. “No, no! I have this under control-“

“Let me look at this.” Yellow stepped in, Spark still clinging on to her shoulder pad, and rerouted the feedback from the panel towards one she summoned from her gem. As her eyes scanned the prompt, she gave her own puzzled frown in return to those on the faces of the others. “Well, it _should_ be regressing back into idle status-” A loud pop however, interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

“What was that?” Mari inquired, fear lacing her voice.

If gems could sweat, Yellow would be standing in an ocean of her own extraction fluid. “Uh… A bird?”

Another loud pop sounded through the air, and Canary snapped to attention, remembering these symptoms from a troubleshooting manual she’d studied about intergalactic engine compartments. “The control rods! They’re charging themselves back with induction… they must've been overpowered-“ Cutting herself off, she wheeled to face Spark. “What did you do?!”

The off-color blanched, now completely taken aback. "Nothing! I powered them up, just like you told me to!" She fidgeted in place, gaze dashing between the gateway and Canary's wrathful face. She had powered them up right, just to the percentages requested, but now, staring at the malfunctioning gateway, she... wasn't so sure. "Spark, I cannot fucking believe you!" The golden gem's scowl deepened as she held a hand against the little one perched on her shoulder. "Canary, knock it off." However, the light-colored gem didn't comply. She stepped closer to Spark, her boots sinking slightly in the sand as she pointed a glove-less finger at the smaller one. "It's her fault, I shouldn't have trusted a scrawny defect like her to do anything right!"

"I said **knock it off**." Yellow briefly studied the other's face before grabbing her gently and setting her down on the ground. "It's just an anomaly. I'll handle it."

As she channeled her electric energy to sever the bonds powering the control rods, Spark sat on the sand, her gaze locked onto her boots. Guilt ripped holes through her chest, as she caught Canary's disgruntled look in her direction and Mari's pitying expression. For a second, she could see the faces of other gems in their expressions, a rose tinted hue falling upon the room, a familiar sinking in her gut. As soon as the gateway powers down, the gem is nowhere to be seen.

 

* * *

 

Spark growled angrily as she sat with her back resting against the large side of the control chair, the light from the view-port reflecting off the polished plates of her armor. She was growing restless, the normalcy of these gems’ lives highly incompatible with her militaristic, energetic nature, and after what happened with the gateway she couldn't sit around with them anymore, a strange discomfort filling her. A hand brushed her wild mane of hair out of her eyes as she looked over what little possessions she had, trinkets that had piqued her interest. A few discarded, unsatisfactory swords from the bismuth’s forge, a polished newly formed crystal that they had come across while mining for equipment for the inter-dimensional gateway, and the human’s square, dormant device of communications. Spark had seen it thrown out of one of the ship’s vents, and when she asked Mari about it her answer had been short and wry.

“You can have it.” She hadn’t even looked at the device, or met Spark’s puzzled gaze. She didn’t mull over it, however. The human surely was still shaken by the previous events. Regardless, staying here after the portal was broken down into a hunk of powerless iron was pointless, especially when she had a battle to go back to and a smirk to wipe off White’s face. She could already hear the sickly, sweet coos of the large gem as she dismantled what little legacy Spark left into nothing but vague myths. And she wasn't going to let them talk about her behind her back.

“What are you doing here?”

Yellow, the one and only (as she liked to put it) suddenly appeared from above her small alcove, seemingly here for a long time. She had a few monitors hovering at her disposal, one of them beeping with the returned results of a test. Her neutral expression seemed to quietly inquire about her status. In response, Spark only muttered a few disgruntled words under her breath, upset about not being able to have a moment of peace in this damned ship. Even when they were being “serious”, they took hours to finish any small tidbit of work and even then, they were thrown back by one accident that... surely wasn't her fault. It couldn't be. She mulled over it, thinking about how it wouldn’t be even remotely forgiven on her Homeworld. She'd gotten away with a few glares here, but why was that making her so upset? “Nothing.” She shot a threatening glare at the larger gem, which flew right over her head. “How long have you been here?”

“Well, I've repaired both the hyperspace engine and channeled the energy cell outputs to the gateway’s nodes, which were almost irreparably damaged after your little debacle, while I've been here.” Yellow pawed at a screen while she spoke, still mentally engaged with her tasks. She was the most productive one out of them all, but even with her efforts, they were moving at an embarrassingly slow pace. “Time on Earth is but a pointless construct.”

“Whatever.” Spark barked. She wasn't going to listen to any of this anymore, she could still feel the hot gazes burn through her skull. She didn’t have the time to sit here and wait for them to stop idling about as her universe fell to pieces, nor watch them shoot her looks of pity. The era she wasted here was more than enough already.

“Snappy today, aren’t we? Don’t strain yourself.” Yellow said dismissively, turning back to her tasks, seemingly missing the steam boiling off the other gem’s hair.

“Don’t talk to me like that.”

“Just what is up with you? I've only looked in your general direction and you’ve been glowing at the gem like some feral organic.” Yellow punctuated every word with a tap at the screen, deft fingers working expertly at the panels. She seemed to not be in the mood for arguing today, but that was to be expected. Everyone was burnt out by the debacle at the beach. The smaller diamond sighs, trying to compose herself. “How long will it take to get the gateway working?”

“A Homeworld cycle or two-“

“But that’s- That’s _four Earth years!_ I-” She caught herself, biting her lip. “We don’t have all that time to spare!”

“I'm yet to find out exactly what went wrong, so it'll take a while. Be patient for once." Yellow's expression was dark, but not scornful. "Not everyone is mandated to constantly work their noses to the grindstone just because you do, Spark.”

“Of course they aren’t.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You're all like this, even you- no, especially you.” Spark points up at the larger gem, furious. “You've popped out of the ground _just right_ ,” She closed her eyes, blinking away a strange stinging at the corners of them. “that you can't see your own flaws!” She steps up, the anger inside her rising like a monster from the deep. She could feel a strange sensation pricking at her gem, something akin to lightness overcoming her form.

“That’s easy for you to say when you sit here and judge us all by your unrealistic standards. Don't forget you make mistakes too.”

The gem before her glared up at her, hands balling into fists. Her form seemed to grow hazy at the edges. Blinking, Yellow's expression morphed into concern and slight fear as the other continued to scream at her. "It was never a problem to you before!" Hot tears ran down her cheeks, and her body was shaking with sobs and a strange form of energy. "I've always been like this! I've always been hotheaded, reckless, and angry- and everything else you yell at me for!" The world around her starts to warp into a broken image of itself, crumbling in at the hinges, and she can barely register a cry from Yellow. The other's mouth is moving, but she cannot comprehend the words. "I'm not defective, _you're_ defective! _All of you!_ "

When she opens her eyes, she's no longer inside the ship. The world around her is dark, tainted with the scent of death, and a familiar sensation of home. Spark's gaze rises to the heavens, where the sky swirled around a cluster of thick, heavy clouds, lightening jumping between them like flashes of warring gods. The cliffs carry around holes she was far too familiar with, the glints of golden iron shine between piles of debris. She falls to her knees, as rain begins to fall.

She'd done it. She was home.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Solar](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18202283) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account)




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